City comparison
Atlanta, GA vs Urban Honolulu, HI
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Urban Honolulu, HI are 10.9% higher than in Atlanta, GA. Someone earning $100,000 in Atlanta, GA would need about $110,900 in Urban Honolulu, HI to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $2,016 a month in Urban Honolulu, HI versus $1,660 in Atlanta, GA. On $100,000, that's 33% of take-home pay in Urban Honolulu, HI and 27% in Atlanta, GA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,503 a year higher in Urban Honolulu, HI than in Atlanta, GA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −1.3% moving from Atlanta, GA to Urban Honolulu, HI ($112,556 → $111,119), while prices change by +10.9%. Net effect of the transfer: −11.0% in real buying power.
- Atlanta, GA: price level 100.1 (about average)
- Urban Honolulu, HI: price level 111.0 (much pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Atlanta, GA | Urban Honolulu, HI | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.1 | 111.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $110,897 in Urban Honolulu | $90,174 in Atlanta |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,660/mo | $2,016/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,613 | $73,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,567 (GA) | $6,070 (HI) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 27% | 33% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $51,170 | $57,220 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Atlanta-Athens-Clarke County-Sandy Springs, GA-AL | State of Hawaii |
Rent areas: Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA HUD Metro FMR Area and Urban Honolulu, HI MSA. Metro areas: Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA and Urban Honolulu, HI.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Atlanta | Urban Honolulu |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 111.0 | 135.5 |
| Goods | 100.4 | 111.6 |
| Utilities | 96.2 | 187.3 |
| Other services | 96.7 | 102.9 |
| Overall | 100.1 | 111.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Atlanta, GA → Urban Honolulu, HI
Same pay buys less
Buying power −9.8%; rent takes 33% of take-home; state tax +$1,503/yr.
26 Weak offer
Urban Honolulu, HI → Atlanta, GA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +10.9%; rent takes 27% of take-home; state tax −$1,503/yr.
97 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Atlanta, GA is in the Atlanta-Athens-Clarke County-Sandy Springs, GA-AL pay area; Urban Honolulu, HI is in State of Hawaii. The last column shows what a transfer from Atlanta, GA to Urban Honolulu, HI at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Atlanta, GA | Urban Honolulu, HI | Real change, Atlanta → Urban Honolulu |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $65,271 | $64,438 | −11.0% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $78,972 | $77,964 | −11.0% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $94,654 | $93,445 | −11.0% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $112,556 | $111,119 | −11.0% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $133,007 | $131,310 | −11.0% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Atlanta, GA | Urban Honolulu, HI | Urban Honolulu pay in Atlanta dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $76,570 | $73,080 | $65,899 (−13.9%) |
| Software Developers | $132,960 | $120,230 | $108,416 (−18.5%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $85,820 | $74,990 | $67,622 (−21.2%) |
| Registered Nurses | $100,490 | $139,260 | $125,576 (+25.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.